Juvenile suspect leads police on 130 mile chase

Longview police were lead on a high speed chase for over 100 miles. It started in Longview and went all the way to Dallas, mostly on Highway 80 at speeds over 100 miles an hour.

A Longview police officer spotted a pickup driving erratically without headlights around 4:30 am at Highway 80 and H.G.Mosley. When the officer hit his lights, the driver refused to pull over and headed west. James Smith was going to work around then and saw the chase.

“I was driving down Highway 80 and saw a bunch of police lights and I pulled over. And the truck went by with no headlights on in front of them, and he was gone. He was hauling with it,” Smith recalled.

According to Lt. Shane McCarter with Longview Police, the chase went 130 miles into Dallas where it was captured on camera.

“During this pursuit we learned that the vehicle was stolen,” McCarter said.

It had not been reported stolen but police called the truck’s owners in White Oak.

“Once we were able to verify where the vehicle returned to we contacted the owners of the vehicle and they let us know that it was not where it was supposed to be, so we did believe at that point that it was stolen,” McCarter stated.

It was one of the longest chases LPD ever had. Police in pursuit lost radio contact with Longview dispatch after about 30 miles and had to use cell phones.

“Well into this pursuit we did learn that the possible suspect, the driver of this vehicle was a juvenile,” McCarter revealed.

The tires were spiked at some point, but the driver kept going anyway.

“It is a danger. Any time we have a pursuit where we’re trying to apprehend a suspect that fleeing from us we do take into consideration the way the individual is driving; the behavior that’s going on behind his wheel,” McCarter said.

As well as the safety of other drivers. The truck driver finally gave up and pulled over in Dallas. The front passenger wheel and rim worn down to the axle, police say. He was taken into custody after one of LPD’s longest police chases: about 82 minutes.

The 16 year-old is charged with evading arrest and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. There may be more charges filed and he will eventually be brought in to the Gregg County Jail.

Sanderson Farms will be holding a job at Tyler Junior College's North Campus for those interested in working at the companies new complex in Tyler.(Source: https://sandersonfarms.com/corporate/media-library/brand-assets/)

Sanderson Farms, Inc., continued its hiring process Tuesday for its newest poultry complex, which is under construction in Tyler. A job fair kicked off in Lindale in August, following a similar fair in Tyler in July.

Sanderson Farms, Inc., continued its hiring process Tuesday for its newest poultry complex, which is under construction in Tyler. A job fair kicked off in Lindale in August, following a similar fair in Tyler in July.